Of Love and Potions Class
by AnaLuciaa
Summary: Draco Malfoy has finally come to his senses where our favorite bushy-haired witch is concerned.


Written for the Wand Wood Competition.

Prompt used; ****Willow: ****__An uncommon wand wood with healing power. The ideal owner for a willow wand often has some kind of insecurity, however well they may try to hide it. Willow wands tend to be attracted to those with great potential. ___****Alt: write about an instance where a character is jealous or insecure.****_

'That brainless, egotistical, traitorous son of a bitch.'

Draco sat at the very back of the Potions class, absolutely stewing in his chair and ignoring the current assignment his Head of House had given them. The professor was partially at fault for his foul mood, so when Snape stopped in front of his desk and raised a questioning eyebrow at Draco's untouched parchment, the blonde merely spared him a contemptuous glare before turning his attention back to more pressing matters. The pair of students two rows in front of him.

Blaise Zabini, his former best friend as far as he was concerned, and Granger were bent over the same textbook, looking far cozier than he deemed appropriate. Their chairs were angled towards one another and on occasion shoulders would brush or knees would bump and Draco would clench his hands or gnash his teeth that much harder.

That Italian prick had claimed to have forgotten his book in the common room and had asked Granger to share her's. It was a reasonable solution as at the beginning of the year Severus Snape had deemed it a brilliant idea to assign seats and pair up different houses. "A way to strengthen the bond between houses and promote unity in these dark times" was his solemn explanation.

Draco knew for a fact he wasn't the only one who called bull, anyone that had more than two brain cells to rub together was skeptical. He reckoned watching them maul each other was Snape's only true joy in life.

Greasy haired bastard.

Blaise said something that caused the bushy haired witch to flush red and, Merlin forbid, giggle. Hermione Granger did not _giggle!_ She snorted when she laughed, shouted, scolded. But she did not under any cicumstances flirtatiously giggle. Was nobody else noticing the blatant eyelash batting going on? He glanced at Snape, hoping their professor would publicly humiliate and preferably separate the two of them so Draco could get on with their coursework. It wasn't easy having the second highest grades in the school and he'd be damned if his idiotic ex-best friend and the Mudblood he'd developed an unhealthy infatuation for caused his academic excellence to falter!

But luck was not on his side today as Snape was busy gleefully terrorizing Longbottom on the other side of the room, oblivious to Draco's dilemma. Even Granger's bodyguards weren't paying attention, and they were normally on her arse if she so much as took a breath the wrong way.

Then. Zabini did something that eradicated what little bit of reason Draco had left in his pretty little blonde head.

Blaise turned slightly and shot Draco a knowing smirk, and suddenly the young man realized what was going on.

The conversation the two wizards had the night before came flooding back as Draco stood abruptly, pushing back his chair hard and earning several curious stares.

_'It's obvious you like her, mate.'_

_'Sod off.'_

His stride was purposeful and his expression hard. By now he'd gathered the attention of everyone in the room, including their Professor, who watched on in mounting interest.

_'Why are you so adamant in denying your feelings for Granger?'_

_'Shut the fuck up, Zabini!'_

He no longer cared. Not of the repercussions once his father found out, nor of the possible rejection he was about to face.

He stopped behind the two people he'd been glaring at the entire class, his anger tangible in the air. Both Blaise and Hermione looked up at him, one in calculating amusement and the other in wary confusion.

_'You're going to lose her, Draco. If you don't get your head out of your arse soon, someone else is going to wise up and snatch her out from under your nose.'_

Sending Blaise on of the iciest looks he could muster, the blonde wizard turned towards the girl he'd fancied since third year. She reached for her wand, not that he could blame her as his eyes no doubt shone with the instability he was feeling, but he didn't give her the chance to hex him.

Grabbing her face with both hands, he bent down and kissed her.

It lasted all but a few seconds and she didn't kiss back, though Draco would chalk that up to shock. He didn't kiss her sweetly or deeply, though he had every intention to another time, if she permitted. No, this was meant to show everyone that Hermione Granger was off limits and show them he did.

When Draco finally released the dazed witch, he forced his features back into their usual impassive state, but not before sneering one last time at his grinning friend.

Ignoring the shocked looks and gaping mouths, Draco Malfoy turned on his heel and strode out of the classroom, back straight and head held high. Every head in the room slowly turned to poor Hermione, whose blank stare was still focused on where Draco had stood moments ago.

Not even Snape could manage to silence a Potions class quite like that.

"Ten points from Gryffindor."


End file.
